'888' is a scene break
"When a star goes supernova, the explosion emits enough light to overshadow an entire solar system, even a galaxy. Such explosions can set off the creation of new stars. In its own way, it was not unlike being born." – Todd Nelson
I woke up on the damp, yet crumbly floor with only one thought in my mind: kill.
I jolted up immediately at the word that seemed to be endlessly repeating itself in my conscience. I didn't know why it was there, and actually, now that I thought about it... I didn't know much of anything. All I knew was that half of me was determined to kill, and the other half of me really didn't want to.
I stood up from the rusty-red soil and dusted myself off, noticing that I was in a small area in a red cavern. I gulped as I spun all the way around, not seeing a way out, only a metallic black arch in front of me that seemed modern and out of place within the rock walls. I felt sweaty now, not only from the moisture building up in the room, but I felt a heat that was unexplainable— like I had just walked through fire.
Only then did I notice I had a paper in my hand.
I stared down at it a moment, puzzled. How did I miss it before? I opened the worn yellow parchment slowly and read its contents.
Sometimes in life, the choices you have to make aren't as simple as good and bad. Sometimes, you have a bad choice, and another bad choice, and it's up to you to decide which one is less bad.
Once upon a time, I made one of these choices. I broke a law or two... or 26.
You see, I did do these things, but I don't completely remember it. Everyone else does. Everywhere I go around here, people look at me like I've either performed a miracle, or created chaos. Now I've done it again, and this time, I refuse to forget a single moment.
I hope that my future self is reading this, because I have to remember. There are a million fates depending on it, including mine. Yours. Ours. All you have to do is walk through the archway front of you. I can't explain how it works here, but it will tell you everything.
So this, my future, memory-wiped self, is the story of how I found love and lost it. This is the story of how I broke a million rules. This is the story of stars, secrets, and sacrifice.
This is the story of how I became.
I folded it again and stared at the arch in front of me, and back to the paper. I stood back a moment, and walked all around the arch, but there was nothing else but black metal. I stepped through.
888
1000 years earlier/later, 2015
There were two things in life I was certain I knew everything about.
The first was Doctor Who. I had started watching it with my best friend Deevia in high school, and ever since my life completely turned around, I still watched it into my early adult years because it was the only piece of myself I felt I had left from my normal life.
The second was Area 51—the thing that completely turned my life around at the age of 19. Area 51 was in fact a center to test and experiment on alien objects. However, while we were government employees, it was technically a family business. Now I'm 25, and over the years so far I've seen enough to believe that anything is possible, and that's not always a good thing. Maybe I've lost hope in other worlds, but I've learned so much working here, so much about how the little things of the world work. I've come to truly love every science there is, and gained a sense of wonder I was sure I would never let go of.
I opened my small, ornate treasure chest my aunt gave me. Inside was my good luck charm, and today I was going to need it.
I took the rose gold necklace out of the chest and put it on. It's a locket, but it won't open. On one side is a jewel, and on the other are some circular engravings. How the necklace looks or works doesn't matter to me, though. What matters to me is that my aunt gave it to me as a good luck charm, and it's never failed me before.
When I got to work, everyone was talking quietly, yet today they seemed more enthusiastic. People in lab coats and business suits were scattered throughout the large, concrete observatory. I smiled at the scene of grown-up nerds, as I liked to call us. Today we would be doing our first tests on an artifact I discovered, which was a small yellow orb that looked like it was filled with Christmas Lights.
I couldn't help but be excited. Ever since I first got here, only three people have given me any respect for the work I've done: my best friend Meredith, my other best friend Dylan, and my mentor, Professor Zodiac. These three people aside from my father, of course. Maybe now that I went out and discovered the artifact on my own instead of having my mission partner Dylan retrieve it, I could get some credit.
"I knew it was you!"
I turned around to see Dylan walking up to me. "A great, shiny, artsy-looking orb. Who else would have found it?" He said, casually putting his arm around my shoulders.
I laughed a little. "Yeah. I mean, I love science− but I think I've always been an artist, too."
"Do you think you would have been an artist?"
I never liked to think about what would have happened if Area 51 wasn't in my blood, or if I wasn't forced to work here. There isn't really anything I can do about it. What's the point in thinking about the what-ifs if they're never going to happen? Thinking about what could have been is dangerous, but I did anyway.
"Not really. I definitely would have done a lot more in my free time, but I think I would still love science. So I'm okay." I didn't dare say what else I was thinking.
I have to be here, so I might as well learn to be okay.
He stared at me for a moment. Both of us knew there were people who would kill to get in here, and kill to get out. Then there are the ones who are just okay.
"It's a blessing and a curse, isn't it?" He sighed. I gave a weak smile and looked down to the floor. He sighed and shuffled his feet through the awkward silence. "Well, congratulations." he smiled, walking away.
Right when he left, my best friend Meredith wiggled her eyebrows at me. I say best friend, even though she's nine years older than me. Dylan is the second youngest at age 28. None of us are allowed to date outside of Area 51 for the sake of maintaining job confidentiality, and although hundreds of us work here, finding real love is still rare. So of course, people are always trying to root for Dylan and I to start a relationship in the most parental and non-awkward way they can manage. He's nice and attractive, with Egyptian tan skin and green eyes, but he's my best friend and coworker, too.
Usually Area 51 kids don't know that they're Area 51 kids until the age of 22, when the government comes knocking on their door. The only reason I got here early, is because I found out too soon.
"Such a clever girl," Professor Zodiac, my mentor, said to me in his thick Indian accent that never lost its shine, putting his hand on my shoulder and smiling at me. He was the last person to ever be accepted into Area 51 from the outside, along with his brother. We called them Recruits: which might sound like a small title, but getting into this business without any personal connection means you must really have brains. To have him respect me meant a great deal. "It's time."
Everyone stood back or went to their station, but I just stepped forward, staring at the orb in awe. I couldn't help but wish my dad were here.
Last I checked, was off somewhere looking for an artifact in Rome. He's in charge of looking for artifacts and other alien objects like Dylan is— the Retrievers. Our bosses are alerted about a mysterious object anywhere in the world, and it's their job to retrieve it and bring it back to headquarters here. Then, people like Meredith and I get to test and observe it until there's nothing left to test. We check to make sure it isn't harmful, but also, to see if it's useful.
I never knew my mom, though, because my dad made the mistake of falling in love with someone outside the department. Still, I know he's proud of me, no matter where he is.
"Clear!" Professor Zodiac yelled, pulling a lever, slowly charging the orb with power. It was risky, but after a few days, we deemed it the best way to get a response out of the object. I was never completely confident in my findings like the other scientists were, so I was a little worried. I held my breath as it surged with thousands of volts, but it didn't seem electrocuted. It seemed to be calmly persisting through a rampant thunderstorm, glowing softly until it was no longer just yellow, but also a burnt red, so that it looked like a fiery sunset.
Suddenly, I felt a burning sensation on my chest and looked down at my necklace. The crystal on it also seemed to be on fire. I held it in my hand and felt warm. It was shining and glowing a brilliant ruby red, but I didn't feel afraid of it. I kept holding it in awe. Something about it made me feel complete, and I didn't realize how long I was mesmerized by it until I heard a voice calling out my name.
"Scarlette!" Dylan yelled, breaking me out of my trance. He was out of breath and flustered. "You have to give us that necklace," he demanded cautiously, arm outstretched, waiting for me to hand it over.
The sensation I felt was so new, all I could manage to do was shake my head. There was no way I was giving them this necklace to lock up in glass and test on, especially now. Something about the warm glow gave me an overwhelming sense of home and belonging that I've never felt before.
"Scarlette Rivera!" The Professor yelled, startling me. I turned to my left to see him running towards me. I looked down at the necklace. I knew that in seconds someone would pry it from my hands, so I squeezed it tight.
Only I wasn't only squeezing it, I was pressing a button.
Before I could do anything, the world around me already seemed to be falling apart. It looked like my surroundings were becoming pixelated, a picture being cut up, and I couldn't tell what was real. In a panic, I began hyperventilating. It felt like hours. I was caught in a whirlwind and was becoming motion sick. I couldn't see a thing, but I knew there was so much happening around me. Colors and lights blinded me, yet I couldn't close my eyes in awe.
Then, it abruptly stopped.
I crouched, feeling like I had landed somewhere. I stared at the grass below me, running my fingers through it in shock. I definitely wasn't in Area 51 anymore, but I wasn't alone.
I looked up to see none other than Karen Gillan in front of me, staring at me with wide eyes. I was right by a parking lot, and I had the fear that the redhead in front of me might be the only thing I knew around here.
Tears were staining my cheeks as I stood. "Karen?" I croaked, breathing rapidly.
Karen dropped the grocery bag she was carrying. "Who's Karen? Oh my god, you weren't lying," She put her hands to her head in frustration before walking closer to me. "Can I just ask, why now? Or no, how about we just start at why?"
I wiped my tears and tried to focus, looking around frantically to try to take in more of my environment. I had to get it together to figure out what in the world was going on. "What are you talking about?"
I reached up to touch the locket on my chest and felt the heat from it die down, and hypothesized that the alien artifact I had found did something to it, and then it did something to me.
Karen stepped up to me, and for some reason, cautiously reached out to touch my hair. She grabbed the ends and looked at them closely, frowning, not finding whatever she was looking for. She even squinted, and plucked individual strands, before seeing how I was giving her a strange look and let go. "Scarlette?"
She looked at me expectantly; as if she was worried about what I was going to do next. I nodded at her slowly. "Yes?"
Her wariness quickly turned to anger. "I cannot believe you would do this now!" She rambled, but I still had no idea what she was talking about, or if it was even directed at me. I didn't remember doing anything except pressing a button and showing up here. She picked up her grocery bags and started walking furiously. "Come on."
I looked around at my surroundings, and none of it seemed familiar except for Karen, so I decided to follow her, and nearly had to jog since she was walking so fast. Maybe it wasn't the smartest idea to follow someone I barely knew, but she seemed to know me... even if she didn't seem to like me very much. It didn't look like I was going to get back anytime soon, so I decided to get answers. "What do you mean? Do what now?"
She turned to glare at me, still not walking slower. She opened her mouth as if she were about to say something, before shaking her head and closing it, gripping her grocery bag tightly.
I kept looking around as we continued walking, but it didn't even look like we were in America. I looked back to her and thought of everything we just said to see if I could remember what it was that made her mad, until I remembered the first thing she said to me.
Who's Karen?
She didn't know who Karen was... so who is the girl in front of me?
I furrowed my eyebrows and stared at her for a long moment, a million different possibilities running through my mind. None of them made any sense, and I was an extra terrestrial scientist. It was my job to make the nonsensical things understandable, but as she turned to walk into an apartment and I spotted a classic looking red car out front, I realized that it did look familiar.
And then I realized, that there was no way this was happening.
"Amy?" I asked cautiously.
She walked up the steps to the door, and paused to turn back to me. "Yeah?"
I always imagined what it would be like if the Doctor found me, but never did I think of what would happen if I found him.
A/N: Shoutout to zerog-littlebird on tumblr for the cover picture, which is a nova themed aesthetic!!!!